


Black Plague

by tbehartoo



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Additional tags as Chapters are added!, Akumatized Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Chapter two is assembling the heroes, Everyone else should tremble in fear, F/M, Hawkmoth can be proud of this akuma (for once), It's when Adrien goes back the second time, Master Fu does allude to Marinette's depression and suicidal ideations, Not Canon Compliant, Plagg uses cheese based nick names for Adrien, Sometimes Ladybug needs a break, Sometimes Mayor Bourgeois is an idiot, Tikki however doesn't have to worry about this, Watch out when they get pushed to the breaking point, You know what they say about the quiet ones?, but then again what is these days?, chapter three might have mild spoilers for the third season?, nausea and vomiting are briefly mentioned in ch 4, so be warned!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-28
Updated: 2020-02-24
Packaged: 2020-09-28 07:21:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20422118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tbehartoo/pseuds/tbehartoo
Summary: Prompt from Nazikart on Tumblr:"One day Marinette comes home really tired from saving Paris all the darn time. But she’s Ladybug and she’s ok with that. But one day a bunch of dumb people decide to protest against her and CN because Hawkmoth keeps terrorizing Paris when all he needs is just their miraculous. So they just decide to blame it on her instead. Marinette is obviously sad with that and she just gives her earrings back to Master Fu. (probably just sneak them in while he isn’t watching). And later that day she gets akumatized (because ya know she’s a human and she is allowed to have feelings and stuff)."





	1. The End is Near

It was with a feeling of great relief that Marinette broke Militant Campaigner's akumatized protest sign under her foot. This akuma had been particularly vicious and she would be glad to cleanse the butterfly and get back home to the lunch she’d abandoned on the kitchen counter.

“Pound it!” she called in tandem with her partner as they did their traditional fist bump at the end of a job well done.

It was only because they’d had years of fighting experience that they ducked and rolled away from the silent and sudden attack from the most recent akuma victim.

“Ladybug! How dare you use me to terrorize this city? My home! My family!” The woman shouted her accusation as she swung her protest sign at the spotted hero.

“I'm not terrorizing the city! Hawkmoth is!” she countered as she dodged the woman's wild swings. 

“You say that, but we both know he'd stop if you just gave him your stupid earrings!” The woman threw down her sign and lunged at Ladybug who quickly moved away. 

“In my experience, the only way to stop a bully is to stand up to them, not hand over your lunch money.” She silently signaled Chat to move behind the attacker as she spoke. They had to be extra careful when dealing with non-akumas. Damage done when not under Nooroo's tainted power could not be easily repaired. “Do you really think that giving him what he wants will make everything better?” the spotted hero asked, truly intrigued.

“Of course it would,” the woman grabbed for her sign again. “Everything was fine before you showed up.”

“I showed up because everything was _ not _fine,” Ladybug didn't shout but her voice was intense and focused as she moved around to keep the woman’s attention on her.

“But it will go back to the way it was if you'd stop menacing the city!” the woman snarled before striking out with the sign. “You are the reason my children can’t sleep at night and why my husband abandoned us to move far away from this madness!” She began to swing rapidly and wildly in Ladybug’s direction.

Chat managed to grab the woman from behind and pin her arms to her side, even as her sign rained down on Ladybug’s head.

“We’d be better off without you!” the woman screamed as Chat cataclysmed the protest sign before tackling the woman to the ground.

“My lady, your time,” Chat cried urgently as her earrings gave off their two-minute warning. “I can hand her over to the police. Please, go!”

His insistence was to protect her identity, she knew that, but it almost sounded like he was siding with their attacker.

“I’ll see you later, Bugaboo?” he offered with a gentle smile.

Ladybug was about to return the gesture when the woman pinned beneath the cat-themed hero yelled out, “I wish you’d disappear! I never want to see you again!”

Normally, crazed messages like this coming from misguided Parisians didn’t really bother her. If put in their position, she would be upset too. Seeing her beloved city torn apart daily all for the sake of some sparkly jewelry would have made her furious had she not known the true power of the Miraculous. She herself may have been the one leading those angry protests demanding she give up her earrings if she was in their place, maybe. 

But this message, in particular, _ irked _ her. Could this woman _ really _not see who the real villain actually was? Was she that oblivious to what was going on around her that she’d rather put the fate and safety of the world at stake in exchange for her husband to move back in? Why not move out with him? Her kids may have trouble getting to sleep, but that may stem from sources far outside of Hawkmoth. This was her finding the one big, uncontrollable part of her life and then attacking the one thing that was keeping it in check. She grew tired of the uninformed trying to demand something that would be to their detriment.

Parisians were unsettled. Hawkmoth had yet to be held accountable for his actions. Most of all, everyone was upset about this untenable situation. 

Especially Ladybug.

“You want me gone? Fine!” she turned away and whipped her yoyo out to the nearest ledge. “Bug out!” 

Never in all her time as Ladybug had Marinette fled the scene of an akuma so quickly, or so angrily for that matter. 

She emerged from an alley no longer Ladybug, just civilian Marinette, into a crowd of protestors, news teams, and curious onlookers. Try as she might to escape, the flood of Parisians seemed to suck her into the mix, dragging her back to the scene she had left just minutes before. A few media outlets were working to be heard above the crowd as she could faintly hear the voice of Nadia Chammock reciting her classic tagline. The protesters in the mix were carrying a plethora of signs, each with its own equally nasty or idiotic slogan. “Paris, more precious than Miraculous” and “Bugs out!” with fly swatters smashing ladybugs. Other signs simply had pictures of her and Chat with big red “X’s” over them. The protesters had seemed like a joke when they’d started, but they had been growing in numbers and were getting more vocal. They stood outside City Hall and Le Grand Paris trying to harass the mayor into demanding that Chat Noir and Ladybug hand over their Miraculous to Hawkmoth. She was sure they weren't Hawkmoth’s minions, but they seemed bent on doing his bidding.

The more Marinette thought about the time she gave to the city, to fighting back Hawkmoth, to being Ladybug and how desperately that protester fought after the akuma was cleansed; the more upset she became with the whole situation.

Somehow she managed to eventually weave her way out of the dense crowd to finally begin making her way back to the comfort of her home where everything made sense and no one was bent on getting rid of her.

“How can I keep doing this, Tikki?” she asked out loud as she walked down the street. She’d taken to wearing an earpiece and keeping her phone in her hand so that she could have conversations with the kwami and not look like a total lunatic. “I keep giving and giving, but it doesn’t seem to matter what I do, it just isn’t enough.”

Tears were forming in her eyes but she hurriedly wiped them away and started taking deep breaths. Recalling all the times she’d had to duck out on friends, or be late for class, turn in partially done homework, and lie to her parents. It was becoming a dull ache that she always seemed to carry. It was times like this when people were attacking her and Chat for standing up to Hawkmoth, that the ache flared up and had to be tamped down. 

Marinette stopped suddenly. 

She had a plan, one that she didn’t like, but it might make this pain go away. She hurried home to grab a very familiar box before heading to Master Fu’s massage parlor.

“Marinette! It’s good to see you,” Master Fu said with a smile. Marinette’s downcast eyes and blank face made him sigh. “I’ve prepared some tea,” he said quietly. “Won’t you please join me?”

Marinette nodded but held Tikki close instead of having her zoom off with the other kwami. She cuddled the red being while waiting for the Guardian to return with the cups and the teapot.

Wayzz tentatively approached and gently patted Marinette’s head. He was only slightly startled when Marinette snatched him from the air to join her and Tikki in their cuddling.

Master Fu returned and stood in the doorway for a moment before coming in to set the tea tray down.

He put a gentle hand on Marinette’s shoulder and saw her hunch in on her self. He gave her shoulder a few soft pats before moving to sit opposite her. He poured the tea in silence and waited for Marinette to speak.

The silence stretched on.

Master Fu sipped his tea and watched as silent tears streaked down Marinette’s face. At least here she was safe to feel, to cry, to rage, and sorrow. She had come many times over the years to allow her feelings to flow through her; to acknowledge them and let them go knowing that Wayzz gave her protection from Nooroo’s akuma butterflies. 

This time felt very different. 

“I can’t do this anymore,” Marinette whispered. The tears increased even as she said it. “I-I thought that I could. That I was strong enough, but-” she finally looked into Fu’s eyes and his heart broke for her,”-I just can’t. I’m so tired Master, and I don’t know that I won’t give in to the next akuma that demands my Miraculous. I see the damage in my mind’s eye even after it has been fixed, I remember every victim, and at night it visits me in horrible and twisted ways. I can only imagine what it does to the citizens that have no powers to protect them, no Tikki to cheer them on-” she stopped abruptly to hug the little red kwami to her “The ones that have no Chat Noir to support them and make them laugh even when it feels like you’ll never laugh again.” She took a moment to use the tissue Wayzz brought her. “Master, I don’t think that I can be Ladybug any more.”

Master Fu let the sentence hang in the air before nodding. “I can see how this situation has been weighing on your heart. You have a very good heart Marinette, it’s big enough to care for all of Paris, maybe even all the world, which means that you can also grieve more deeply when Paris is hurting.” He set his cup down and reached for her hand. “You have carried this burden for many years, Hawkmoth has slipped through our fingers too often, and Paris has heaped nothing but more hope and more expectations on you.” He gave her hand a squeeze. “Are you sure that this is the choice you wish to make?”

Marinette shook her head. “I’m not sure, but I think it might be the best way to keep Tikki and the others safe.” She gave her friend one more hug and a kiss on her forehead before bringing out the box. She placed it on the table and opened it.

“Oh, Marinette!” Tikki squeaked as she realized what the girl was doing. “You don’t have to do this. We can think of a way for me to stay with you and not give in to Hawkmoth!”

Marinette cupped her hands under Tikki as she usually did when they had these kinds of conversations. “Tik, I could never forgive myself if something happened to you. If-If I gave you to Hawkmoth just to get him to stop hurting the city, my city, to get him to st-stop hurting m-m-me” she had to take a deep breath. “Your safety is more important-” she choked on a sob, “- more important than my need for peace. Please, won’t you see that? He’s, he’s won Tik!” She started sobbing uncontrollably. “He’s w-won.”

Master Fu immediately came to the young woman’s side. She curled her head on his shoulder and cried as he gently rocked her while holding her in the circle of his arms.

“Go ahead and cry Marinette,” he cooed. “You’re safe here,” he said as he continued to rock from side to side. “Let it out, you need to get it out.” He made soft, small circles on her shoulder as he said, “I’ll be here as long as you need.” 

“I don’t want to let her go,” she whispered. “But-”

“But you need a rest,” Master Fu said firmly. “Yes, you need a rest, a break from all of this. I’m sorry I didn’t see it sooner.”

Marinette sat up to look imploringly at Master Fu, a small hope lit her eyes.

“Marinette, I am the Guardian of the Miraculous Stones so I am the one who chooses who will care for the Miraculous.” He gave her a small smile, “I also guard their Chosen and it is my duty to assist you as well. In my function as Guardian, I ask that you leave your Miraculous with me for a short time. I will choose a temporary holder for the Creation stones-”

“But Master-” Tikki said even as Wayzz interrupted with “You can’t do-”

“I will choose a very **temporary** holder for the creation stones,” he said firmly to the two kwami who instantly backed down at his glare. “And when, or if, you feel that you are prepared to take back the mantle of Ladybug, they will be waiting for you.”

“I don’t have to give her up forever?” Marinette asked confused. “I thought that once the Miraculous was rejected it couldn’t be used correctly until a new wielder was chosen and that only the death of the first wielder would allow the second to-”

“There is much you don’t yet know about the Miraculous,” Master Fu interjected. “And so that you are able to learn more, and be protected by Wayzz’s power,” he added somewhat under his breath, “I ask that you become my apprentice.”

Marinette just stared at him.

“You would be able to keep in contact with Tikki while she is here, be safe from the akuma, and not to put too fine a point on it, you’d be able to actually heal from some of this trauma Hawkmoth has put you through. What do you say Marinette? Will you let me hold on to Tikki for you and become my apprentice?”

Marinette thought over the proposal very carefully. A wary smile began to grow on her face.

“Yes Master, I would be honored to become your apprentice.”

“And will you allow me to hold the creation Miraculous for you,” he hastily added, “for a short time at least?”

Marinette nodded. “I know that she will be safe with you and her new holder.”

“A temporary new holder,” Fu specified.

”Yes, with a temporary new holder,” Marinette added.

Master Fu held out a hand and Marinette grasped it. As they shook hands she felt magic envelop them and then dissipate into the air.

Suddenly all of Marinette’s tension and guilt was lifted. Master Fu noticed that she seemed to sit up straighter. 

He was an old fool! He forgot how the duties of creation could wear down the bearer. If he wasn’t careful the chosen for Tikki’s stones could slip into a bleak depression and then her powers could create a barren wasteland of existence that made Plagg’s cataclysm look like a welcome relief. This he would not permit to happen to Marinette!

They finished drinking their tea and chatted pleasantly for a few more moments. When Marinette was ready to leave she reached up and removed the earrings from her ears for the first time in three years and gently placed them in their box. Tikki didn’t disappear, she gave Marinette one last hug, then went to the phonograph that housed the other Miraculous stones and phased into it. 

Marinette bowed to Master Fu and then left the massage parlor. For once she seemed to be the young girl that she actually was instead of an old soul trapped in a child’s body.

“Master you know that if you choose another to wield Tikki’s Miraculous that Marinette will never be able to use it again,” Wayzz said as they watched through the glass door that Marinette had departed from.

“Ah, there you are wrong,” Fu said with a slight grin. “There is one other that can use them,” he paused, “for short periods of time,” another pause, “in an emergency.”

Wayzz frowned but soon understanding dawned on him. “But that is only to be used in a dire emergency!” he protested.

“Do you think that Marinette, our Ladybug, being crushed by her responsibilities and her love for her family, her friends, her kwami, her city, and even Hawkmoth; giving of herself until she is nothing but a crying mess in my healing room isn’t an emergency?” he asked with a frown.

Wayzz thought over what his master had said and everything that Marinette had done and faced in the last three years, then nodded in agreement. “Yes, you are right. I’m sorry for doubting you, Master.”

Fu gave his kwami a hearty smile. 

“I’m glad it’s so easy to convince you,” he said. “The Council would never have approved.”

“The Council would never have dared to give Tikki to so strong a wielder as Marinette in the first place,” Wayzz commented.

“It’s a good thing they aren’t here to mess this up then,” he replied as he turned to the low table to gather the tea things and take them back to his kitchen.

*******

Marinette stood in her kitchen looking at the empty chopping board. She knew she had been cutting up some carrot sticks and an apple to go with her sandwich when the akuma attack had happened.

Her mother walked by and laughed when she saw her daughter’s confused face.

“I finished cutting them up and stashed them and your sandwich in the fridge,” she said as she leaned in to give her daughter a kiss on her cheek. “Did you get new earrings?” she asked puzzled as she moved toward the fridge.

“Oh, uh yeah,” she said as she tugged at the earrings she had made and used to defeat Dark Owl. “I thought I’d jump on the Ladybug bandwagon to show her my support.”

“Well, she deserves all the support and thanks we can give her,” Sabine said opening up the fridge.

“You think so?” Marinette asked hesitantly.

“I know so,” Sabine said with a smile as she removed Marinette’s lunch and a container of juice from the fridge. “Our heroes work so hard, day or night and in every kind of weather to keep us safe.” She set the plate in front of Marinette’s stool and reached for the glass that her daughter had retrieved. “I don’t know what Hawkmoth wants their Miraculous for, but it can’t be for anything good.”

“What makes you say that?” Marinette wondered as she sat on the bar stool in front of her. “Maybe he wants to do something great with them. Maybe everything would be better if he had them?”

Sabine set the juice down hard on the counter making Marinette cringe. “I know because of what he’s been willing to do to get them,” she said with a growl. “He’s used children and even babies to do his dirty work,” she was starting to get worked up over this. “No one and nothing is safe from him. Anyone who willingly tampers with those that we as a society recognize as weak, helpless, or in need of our protection is NOT a good person, Marinette. He picks on those that can’t defend themselves or whose core emotions have gotten even the tiniest bit intense and he’s done it from the beginning. Look at his actions! He shows a disregard for everyone’s life and sanity. How many floods and fires, landslides, and sinkholes have we had to deal with since he started his campaigns? Hawkmoth is not a good person, Marinette, and I thank god, and anyone else involved, daily for Ladybug and Chat Noir!”

Marinette grabbed her mother in a tight hug. “I bet Ladybug and Chat Noir would thank god, and anybody else involved, for you!” 

Sabine chuckled but hugged her daughter back with as much zeal as Marinette held on to her. Once she was released she planted a kiss on top of her daughter’s head and stepped away. “I’ve got to go help in the bakery. Will you be okay up here? You look a little wrung out.”

Marinette nodded. “I don’t have an afternoon class so I thought I’d work on some of those commissions I had on my Etsy.” She smiled up at her, “aaaand if I happen to fall asleep and take a little nap?” she shrugged. “It’s no big deal.”

Sabine laughed. “Well, I hope you’re feeling better this evening. You’re dad is planning on doing a big American dinner and you know how carried away he gets with that.”

Marinette chuckled. “Do I need to call the squad to make sure there aren’t leftovers?”

Sabine pretended to think but quickly smiled and nodded. “Please! I don’t think we need to have three weeks worth of potato salad in the fridge.”

Marinette gave an exaggerated shudder. “I might ask Alya to bring the twins. I know how much they adore his coleslaw,” she said even as she typed out the invitation and hit send.

“Good thinking,” Sabine gave a sigh. “Off I go, into the fray.” She smiled at her daughter before leaving. 

“If Ladybug can face down these akumas, I can certainly handle the second wave of the lunch rush,” Marinette heard her say to herself. It made the young woman smile to hear her mother speak so well of Ladybug.

She finished her lunch and headed up to her room. She checked her orders and decided that she’d continue the choker for Nadia Chamak. The news anchor had requested a velvet necklace with jet and silver beading to match the outfit she’d previously commissioned for the New Year’s Eve Special she’d be hosting in three months.

Marinette turned on her favorite song list while she got out the nearly finished choker. She ran a finger over the intricate beading a smile gracing her face when she traced her initials as they wove through the decoration. She hummed along with the music as she carefully loaded her needle with the beads and began her work.

She had been working steadily for twenty minutes when her phone went off with an alert. Marinette opened the news app to see Nadia stationed in front of City Hall.

“In an unprecedented move today, Mayor André Bourgeois has come before the Council of Paris to ask that the so-called superheroes, Ladybug and Chat Noir, be declared terrorists of the City if they don’t surrender to Hawkmoth.”

The words hit Marinette like a punch to her stomach, and she knew that particular feeling all too well. Nadia continued on to mention the protesters and how their numbers were increasing along with growing support for their cause. She also started listing akumas as far back as Stoneheart and following the akuma's name with the number of people affected by each monster. A map was brought up marking each akuma with a red dot and the area where their fights had ranged was grayed out. Soon the map was hardly more than a big black blob with hundreds of red dots all over it.

Marinette was doing her best not to cry in anger or rage at the screen. She was taking deep breaths and closed her eyes to block out the sight of Nadia’s map. 

All of those people were misguided and angry souls that Ladybug had helped! People she had helped for years and years. Ladybug had never taken so much as a Euro for all the work she’d done! Day or night! In every kind of weather! The only thing Ladybug had ever done to Paris was love it and fight for it! She’d saved Paris over and over. She’d fought off the disease that was Hawkmoth for years and still they are going to brand Ladybug as the terrorist?! What would it take for Paris to learn that Ladybug was not their enemy?

Marinette opened her eyes to see a purple and black butterfly hovering near her hand, the one holding on to the choker. She knew that she could try to calm herself and the butterfly would find a different victim nearby, but right now she just really wanted to teach Paris a lesson about how much they needed their Ladybug. 

She watched as the butterfly melded into the choker and quickly put it on. 

“Black Plague,” a smooth male voice said in her head. “You are upset that Paris would treat their spotted hero in such a shameful way. No one should be labeled a traitor who has served so diligently.” 

A small part of Marinette was amazed he could say those words with no trace of irony or ire for the heroes.

“I’m going to give you the power to make Ladybug’s detractors pay in a most efficient and delightful way. No one will stop you!”

“Yes, Hawkmoth,” a smirk graced her face.

“But for this service, there is a price-”

“Oh, I know Hawkmoth. There is always a price and it never changes from akuma to akuma. I accept your terms. You will get the Miraculous stones and I will have my revenge on this city.”

Hawkmoth released the power in the butterfly to flow over Marinette. The black transformation felt only slightly different to donning her suit and she welcomed the familiar feeling of changing into someone else. 

Her clothes melded into a short black dress with fishnet leggings underneath. Marinette would not normally choose them, but she doubted that anyone would be judging her clothing choices for long. A red shawl, long frays on the bottom edge with black beading, covered her shoulders. The beads made the fringe swing with her tiniest movement and she took one small moment to enjoy swaying the beads back and forth. She noticed absently that the fringes shed black spots with every movement and she watched as they flew into the air disappearing through her open window. She shrugged, barely caring about what that may do. Black gloves covered her hands, and she knew that a touch from them would spread the despair she’d felt at Ladybug’s cruel mistreatment. 

([Meet Black Plague](https://nazikart.tumblr.com/image/183096237228)) 

She took a minute to glance in the mirror noticing that her twin tails now sported black ribbons and that her hair whipped around of its own accord. It reminded her so much of Chat Noir’s tail which seemed to signal his state of mind so clearly. That thought sent her hair twisting in its own personal storm. She laughed at the display. 

“Don’t worry,” she told her reflection, “I have something special planned for him.” 

Nodding her approval she turned to the door of her room.

“Yes, Black Plague,” the giddy happiness was too much for Hawkmoth to hide. “I am sure you will bring the Miraculous to me!” He seemed to gain some control over himself before saying, “Now go my little akuma. Bring Paris to its knees.”

“As you wish, Hawkmoth,” she said as she left Marinette’s room. Black Plague floated down the stairs as she sought out the people of Paris. The first person she ran into was her mother.

“Marinette?” Sabine said right before she took in the sight of her daughter and recognized her as an akuma. “Oh, Marinette! No, baby. Fight him off! Don’t let Hawkmoth get you!”

“I am Black Plague,” Marinette said solemnly. “Let the trial of Paris commence!”

She raised a hand and black spots traveled from her fingers to Sabine. They immediately covered the older woman’s face and hands, but just as quickly began to fade. Sabine’s teeth started chattering and her face began to pale.

Black Plague looked at her, expressionless. The final results of the trial leaving Sabine clutching at the wall for support. 

“You are a true friend to Ladybug,” she pronounced. “You may leave, but that it may be known you were judged-” she waved a gloved hand at the woman. A single black mark with a red center appeared in the middle of the woman’s forehead. 

Sabine leaned heavily on the wall. She tried to yell to let the others in the bakery know to evacuate, but she didn’t have the strength to do it. Black Plague simply continued to glide down the stairway to the store.

Next, she met Her father who received a similar judgment once his spots had faded. He was left slumped across the pastry case. While a few regular customers hurried forward to see if they could help, the other patrons realized an akuma attack was happening and ran out the front door. Only three, Alix, Nathaniel, and Marc, were rooted in place. None of them ever thought that Marinette, happy, cheerful, determined Marinette, would fall under Hawkmoth’s control.

“We have to get out of here,” Marc said suddenly. He started to pull at Alix’s coat sleeve and shook Nathaniel’s arm. “Come on. We’ve got to go!”

Nathaniel seemed to come out of his stupor while Alix began pushing up a sleeve, prepared to fight the akuma for evilizing her friend. The two boys looked at each other, then each grabbed hold of an arm and lifted Alix bodily. Since they were running away they didn’t see the black smears flying from the akuma's hands to infect all who were passing by as she skimmed across the sidewalk after them, but Alix saw and shouted for her friends to run faster.

Alix yelled for everyone to get to their akuma shelters while Marc and Nath caught their breath. Black Plague arrived in the courtyard a second later. During all the running and the scrambling, no one noticed her arrival. Everyone froze however when a horrible screeching filled the air.

Lila had been in the crowd near the entryway. All of them had black spots adhered to them. A few had their blotches fade with the red and black mark appear on their forehead. Others were simply covered in a multitude of black flecks that looked very much like chicken pox especially as all of them had immediately started scratching. But Lila? Her spots continued to multiply until they were completely covering her.

The screech came when she started to sprout fur and her nose began to elongate. Another screech was heard when a thin, bald tail erupted as she began to shrink. And in another moment a black rat, the size of a large dog, with red spots at the ends of its fur and red eyes was sitting up looking at the akuma in a most adoring fashion.

“Sadly,” Black Plague shook her head, “You were a rat to Ladybug and now she’s not here to save you, my little plague carrier.”

The rat merely sat back on its haunches and twitched its whiskers at the akuma.

Black Plague smiled down at the rat. “Go on,” she said as she waved the rat toward the doorway. “Spread your curse across Paris. Let them remember what Ladybug did for them.”

The rat that had once been Lila scampered out through the doors. As it left, those that were watching noticed that there were black paw prints where she had walked. Anyone that might have cared to compare them later might have been slightly concerned at how the prints had grown larger and even began to join together, but there were few who saw her leave that were in a position to make such observations by that time.

Lila wasn’t the only rat created from the student population. In fact, most of the students were merely covered in itching black flecks, while a few others had been found to be true defenders of Ladybug, but there were some among them who had not cared for the Lady.

One of the rat transformed students had backed Alya into a corner. Her screams for help brought Black Plague into the classroom.

Alya took one look at the akuma and knew who must have been akumatized. Her heart broke for her friend and she would have run to her if this rodent of unusual size hadn’t been blocking her way.

“Marinette, I’m sure you’re in there,” Alya began. “Don’t let Hawkmoth control you. I know you’re strong and you don’t want to give in to those negative feelings. Fight him, girl!”

The rat began to hunch down as if it was ready to spring at Alya.

“D-D-Don’t worry,” she said as she kept a wary eye on the rat, but tried to look at Black Plague, too, “Ladybug will be here any minute.” She held up her phone which was live streaming to the Ladyblog and thus to most of Paris. “I already let her know where we are so she can come and fix this right away.”

Black Plague moved silently forward to rest a hand on the rat’s head. The rat sat up to look at the akuma, awaiting instructions.

A chill ran down Alya’s spine as the akuma shook her head and spoke.

“Ladybug has left Paris.”

Alya balked at the sentence and shook her head vehemently. “No! She wouldn’t!”

“Apparently she didn’t want to be branded a traitor, but she also couldn’t allow her Miraculous to fall into Hawkmoth’s hands. The people wanted her gone, so she left. She knows I’m friends with you and could pass on the message, that’s why she told me her plans to leave.” She chuckled, but it was a humorless sound. “Of course her abandoning us just because the mayor is a spineless rat resulted in my making an agreement with a certain purple moth so-” the akuma shrugged with one shoulder and smiled, but there was no joy behind the expression. “And now Paris will be destroyed for having driven their champion away.” She looked directly into the camera, “Unless Ladybug returns and gives her Miraculous to me, that is.”

She turned to the rat. “Go, now,” she made the same shooing gesture as she had with Lila. “Go and play with the others. Maybe you can have some fun with all those protesters that have declared that they don’t want their Ladybug to protect them.”

The rat seemed to give some sort of salute then scampered from the room, a growing pool of darkness where it sat for so long.

“But we have others, there are other heroes that can stop you,” Alya protested weakly as black spots began to cover her body. “They will stop you!” She was having trouble standing. All her energy seemed to be drained from her. She slid down the wall to sit in the corner.

Black Plague grinned and this time there seemed to be some kind of triumphal feeling. “But only Ladybug can cure the akuma butterfly. If the heroes stop me but do not cleanse the butterfly, it will multiply! And instead of an army of Stonehearts, I will have an army of plague bringers! Hawkmoth has won! I have won!” Her evil laugh was echoed by Hawkmoth in his lair. She turned away, not interested in having this conversation any further. Alya was able to catch one more sentence from the akuma before darkness consumed her. “Now Paris will suffer for branding their hero a traitor.”


	2. State of Emergency

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chat Noir needs to assemble the hero squad without the advantage of Ladybug and they have to go up against Marinette? This is turning out to be a very bad day for Paris!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content Warning (In case you didn't read the tags): Master Fu tells Adrien about Ladybug's depression and suicidal idiations. It's in the part where Adrien goes back to Master Fu's (the second visit). If that is something you want to avoid, that part will be marked with: ### - ###

[With Ladybug out of touch, What can be done when Marinette goes rogue?](https://nazikart.tumblr.com/post/185419904703/tbehartoo-and-i-have-been-working-on-this-au)

Adrien was still lying face up on his couch where he’d dropped once Chat Noir had split to become Adrien and Plagg. The lunch time akuma had been such a terror to deal with, and then for that protester to continue the attack afterward? Hawkmoth was certainly upping his game. He didn’t think he had it in him to deal with any more monsters today.

“Kid, you’ve got about five more minutes to eat before your warden comes in to get you,” the little kwami said as he was eating his own preferred food with a tender gusto.

Adrien knew that he had officially spent too much time near Plagg when the smell of Camembert had gone from stinky annoyance to mildly appealing. Or maybe he was just really hungry? 

He was almost through the first half of his lunch when his phone began to vibrate. Adrien sighed and checked it expecting nothing more than Nathalie’s reminder that his time was up, instead it was the akuma alert going off. He groaned. Hawkmoth had been sending two and sometimes three akuma a day for months! It was as if the inept villain had grown steadily more desperate and was trying to just wear him and Ladybug out. He hated to think that the tactic might be working. If it hadn’t been for the help of the rest of the miraculous holders then the strategy would most definitely have worked on him.

His phone began to ring again. Adrien hurried to answer that particular ringtone. It was only ever to be used in times of dire emergency.

“Master?” Adrien answered anxiously.

“Chat Noir, you are needed here immediately.” Master Fu’s voice was quiet but earnest. “Do NOT engage with this akuma before you see me or before the others have their kwami. Understand?”

Adrien nodded even though he knew the Miraculous Guardian couldn’t see him.

“I’ll be there immediately,” he said even as he turned to call on Plagg.

“Please hurry,” Master Fu urged, “Marinette’s fate depends on you.”

The phone hit the ground just as Chat Noir leapt from Adrien’s window.

***

Master Fu immediately ushered Chat Noir into his chambers where boxes for the bee, fox, and turtle Miraculous were already waiting.

“You need to hurry and deliver these to your teammates and then return here for one more Miraculous,” Master Fu said without waiting for pleasantries. “It is most imperative that you receive it, but if we take time for explanations now you may lose the others to this akuma’s powers.”

Chat was zipping up the pocket where he stowed the boxes, when Master Fu reached out to place a hand on the young man’s shoulder. He immediately stilled.

“You will have to rely on your team members for help with this as Ladybug will not be able to assist in defeating this akuma.”

Adrien immediately looked up into the saddened eyes of the Guardian. 

“The last akuma was a big blow to her heart. I gave her some time away from being Ladybug, not realizing that this akuma would manifest so soon. Know that Tikki and her Miraculous are safe, for now,” he sighed, “and you will be called on to use her. Let the others know to expect you as the Bug.”

Adrien was confused, but knew that time was urgent so he nodded and ran from the room.

*******

The first person that Chat headed toward was Chloe. He called her phone just to be sure she was at the hotel.

“It’s about time you called,” Chloe said when she answered her phone. “I’ve changed the color on my nails like three times waiting for someone to realize I was needed in this situation.”

“Are you saying that you are unavailable to be our Queen Bee today?” Chat asked with a grin. “I know how you hate to ruin a good manicure.”

“This whole thing with the protesters and rats is ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!” Chloe huffed. “How soon will I have my precious Pollen?”

“R-rats?” Chat asked looking down into the streets seeing the scurrying creatures for the first time and shuddering.

“Yes there are these totally ridiculously huge and hideous rats trying to get into the hotel. I made sure we barricaded the doors after Daddy was changed into one, so you’d best come in through the window.” 

“Your father was turned into a rat?” Chat yelped into the phone.

“Of course he was.” Chloe’s voice was dripping with disdain. “After that stunt he pulled? Asking to have you and Ladybug labeled traitors. Ugh!” It sounded like she might have thrown a pillow at the wall. “I told the guards at the front he wasn’t allowed back into the hotel until he apologized to Ladybug, but one of those rat things came by as he was getting out of his limo. He was banging on the glass pane to be let in and I was about to relent, because those rodents are utterly enormous, but in less than a second there was a rat where Daddy had been. That’s when I ordered the doors barricaded, the elevators turned off and the fire doors closed. Nothing from the ground should be able to get to our guests’ rooms.”

“Uh, duly noted,” Chat replied, awed at her thorough protections. “I’ll be there in about ten minutes.”

“How about you get off the phone so you can use your staff to get here in five?”

“You make a good point. See you in five unless there’s traffic.” 

She hung up but he could imagine the scoff and eye roll that accompanied it and it made him smile. It was fun to tease her as Chat. She still didn’t know who he was under the mask and now that she was getting better at how she treated people they were able to be friends on more equal terms.

“Did you stop to do some sight seeing?” Chloe snapped when Chat touched down in her room less than five minutes later.

“Well Paris is so lovely in the fall, I thought I’d go for a stroll along the Seine,” Chat said as he fished in his pocket.

“Enough chit-chat! Where’s my Pollen?”

“My queen!” a tiny voice chimed as Chat checked that he had the right box.

Chloe snatched the container from Chat’s fingers and hurriedly grabbed the comb. “Pollen it’s so good to see you again!” She gave the bee kwami two quick kisses on the top of her head. “There’s a big stink going on and the hive needs us. Are you ready?”

She waited for her kwami to nod before calling, “Pollen, transform me!”

In a flash of yellow light Queen Bee stood next to Chat.

“We’d better get going,” Queen Bee said. “I’ll be faster if I give you a lift to school.”

“Why would we go to your school?” Chat asked in some trepidation even as he looped an arm around Queen Bee’s shoulders.

She merely rolled her eyes and took off through the window before commenting.

“We need to go to my school because that was the last place Alya was streaming from,” she said as she navigated around a chimney, “and I’m pretty sure we’re going to need Rena if we’re going up against Dupain-Cheng.”

“You think Alya is Rena?” Chat asked his voice rising a little more than usual at the back end of his question. To say the least he was more than a little surprised.

“Oh please,” she scoffed, “Alya and Nino flirt exactly the same way in or out of the suits. The only ones who were ever more painful to watch flirt were Adrien and Dupain-Cheng.”

“Wait. I never- I didn’t- I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Chat Noir stuttered. “Adrien Agreste never dated Marinette,” he protested. He thought for a moment then added, “Did he?”

“Ugh, no. That would be ridiculous!” Queen Bee said as they took the time to knock a couple of the freakishly big rats off a roof between them and the school. “Almost as ridiculous as the crush Dupain-Cheng had on Adrien.”

“When was that?” Adrien tried to keep his question conversational, but the look the Queen Bee shot him let him know he failed spectacularly.

“Oh it was pretty much from the time they met till he started dating Kagami,” Queen Bee said sounding bored. “That was a much better match for my Adrikins than the common baker girl.”

“I didn’t know that,” Chat said quietly. “If she liked him so much why didn’t she say something?”

“She did, but thankfully my Adrikins is too dense to know when a girl is telling him she’s interested, but in a way to keep the sting of rejection to a minimum. Kagami just said she was going to date him and he went with it.”

“Why wasn’t Marinette akumatized then?” His question was more for himself than for his pilot, but she answered anyway.

“Oh, she nearly was, but we all took watches to make sure no little purple butterflies showed up while she mourned the loss of her first true love.” She saw the look of disbelief on Chat’s face. “What? I care if the little baker gets akumatized. She’s too crazy creative to be an easy take down as an akuma, which I’m sure we are all about to find out,” she grumbled. “It’s going to be a ridiculously hard time trying to take her down.” 

Chat nodded in agreement as she swerved them away from a rat running alongside them on a roof. 

“Sabrina-” she broke off for a second before continuing, “we took her out for some retail therapy and it was actually fun to see her in the stores making me outfits. She did a wonderful job. I might hire her again the next time she gets rejected, not that I’d be worried about it turning her into an akuma.” She gave a little snort, “As if she’d let a little thing like ** _that _ **get her akumatized. I just think she gets more creative when she’s emotional.” She broke off their conversation as she concentrated on flying.

“And she’s okay with things now? With Adrien and Kagami I mean?” Chat asked with a great deal of concern.

The side eye from the Bee was not obscured by her mask.

“She insists that if he’s happy then she’s happy or some noble nonsense like that.” Queen Bee was dropping lower to the street as they were almost to the school. “All I know is that she isn’t a little homewrecker like Aurore, so Kagami doesn’t have to worry about her. And we don’t have to deal with another Kagamakuma so that’s nice.”

“You know you might have to get over the fact that Sabrina has changed her affections to a different strong, blonde woman,” Chat said as Queen Bee dropped him down on the street near the school’s front steps.

“As if!” Queen Bee said as she landed next to him. 

She opened up her trompo and brought up the Ladyblog. It was still live streaming from the school. Alya was in the nurse’s office surrounded by a few other students with the black and red mark.

“Okay Queenie,” Chat said as he looked over her shoulder, “can you go pick up Alya? Tell her we need her since she’s Marinette’s closest friend or something? I’ll find Carapace and we’ll meet you at the tower. I’ll make sure that um, Rena catches up with us after we’ve made plans.”

Queen Bee snorted at that pitiful attempt to pretend that she was wrong about Alya being Rena. 

“You know I'm right about her and about Carapace,” she said. “I know who everyone on our team is,” she said smugly. When Chat questioned the truthfulness of the statement with raised eyebrows she quickly amended it, “Well everyone except you and Ladybug.”

“Only Master Fu knows who everyone is,” he said automatically. “We're wasting time discussing secret identities when I really need you to-”

“-To get Alya,” she said with an exasperated sigh. “I know. I'm going.”

She was about to take off when Chat grabbed her arm. “Queenie, wait! The Guardian said I’d be meeting you all as the Bug, so don’t go stinging me when I’m not her. Or, I mean when I’m not my beautiful Chat self, but I am in Ladybug’s spots. Okay?”

Queen Bee looked surprised for once, but just nodded as she took off.

“Okay, now to find Nino,” he said as he pulled the phone from his staff and vaulted to the school's roof.

***

Nino checked his phone’s screen to see if he should reject the call. Since it was one of his special numbers he needed to be very careful about what he said.

“Oh, heeeeeeeeyyyy dude,” Nino tried to sound cool and collected, but the tension in his voice rang out loud and clear. “We’re okay. You know, except for the freakin’ scary akuma that Marinette turned into.” He gave a nervous chuckle and listened for a beat. “Well, me and Kim got separated from Alya and the others. And we saw some of the younger kids panicking so we pulled them into the science lab and barricaded the door.” He gave the tiniest of laughs. “Yeah it was just in time. I think there are a couple of rats patrolling the hall. Well, there are on this side at least. We could hear them going by and occasionally they scratch at the door. Some of the littles are pretty scared and want to get out, but we can’t go out through the door and it’s too big of a drop to just jump.” 

Nino barely registered one of the girls telling him off for using his cell so long when it was supposed to be a message, less than thirty seconds long, to loved ones outside of the akuma area during an attack. He was grateful when Kim told the kid to be quiet so he could listen.

“Well, we saw Alya’s live stream so if the akuma was telling the truth, I guess, we’ll just have to wait for someone else besides Ladybug like Chat or one of the others to come get us out of here, I guess.” He turned beet red. “Well yeah it would be very nice to be saved by the foxiest fox but, well.”

There was a tapping on a window and then everyone in the room was pushing toward the opening to try and let the hero in.

“Chat’s here. I’ve got to go.” Nino hurried to stow his phone.

“Hey everyone,” Chat said in his cheeriest voice. “Queen Bee and I are trying to get everyone out of the school that wants to leave. Who has other arranged shelters?”

It took a moment, but there were only a few people who wanted to stay in the lab. Chat ferried the younger kids to the ground and let Ivan slide down the staff then turned to the others. “Are you sure you don’t want to leave the lab?” he asked. “Once I get Nino out of here no one is coming back until the akuma is cleansed.”

The few who were staying just shook their heads as they pushed another lab bench in front of the door.

“Okay then,” he turned to Nino. “Would you prefer a princess carry or a piggy back ride, my dude?”

“I’ll go piggy back,” Nino said as he moved round to the hero’s back.

“Very wise to leave the princess carry to Rena,” he said with a hint of humor in his voice. The two were out of the window and up to the school’s roof in another moment.

Chat took them to a secluded roof a few streets over before lowering Nino from his back. He spun round holding out the box for Nino. “We need you to meet the Bee and Alya at our usual joint patrol site,” he said while watching Nino transform. “Officially, I asked her to get Alya since she’s Marinette’s best friend and the Ladyblogger. If anyone will have an idea of how to defeat this akuma it should be her.”

“Dude, I still can’t believe that it’s Marinette,” Carapace said shaking his head.

“Me neither,” Chat replied,” but we’ve got to save her.” He swallowed nervously. “Before you go to meet the others, Master Fu said to expect to see me as the Bug.”

Carapace’s face was both inquisitive and frowning. “Does that mean the Marinette was-?”

Chat shook his head and shrugged. “Master Fu gave Ladybug time away since the last akuma was a big blow to her. He has Tikki and somehow I’m going to be able to use her for this fight.”

“Oh, okay. Well I’d better go make sure that Queenie and Alya don’t kill each other.” Carapace gave Chat a fist bump.

“You might as well take Alya her kwami. It’ll save time,” Chat said as he pulled the box from his pocket.

“But you said Queen Bee was there?” Carapace said suspiciously. “A-a-and who said Alya is Rena?”

“You forget that I know who Rena is,” he said with a Cheshire grin, “And Chloe figured you guys out without being told. Something about you two flirting tipped her off.” Carapace had the decency to blush furiously even as he took the proffered box. “I don’t know how long this will take, but I, I don’t think I'll be more than a few minutes.” 

He was trying to sound more confident than he felt, but the way Nino slung an arm around his shoulders to give him a quick hug told him that had not worked as well as he’d hoped.

“Don’t worry, Chat,” he said, “we’ll get your Princess back safe and sound,” he gave another quick squeeze before running off laughing in the direction of their meeting place while Chat suddenly needed to clear his airway.

Chat watched his friend as he rushed toward the battlefield. Sure they had taken down akuma without Ladybug being present before, but she was always there in the end, an ace up the sleeve if things went haywire. Now all the cards were on the table, and he just hoped they held the winning hand.

***

“You were very quick about your work,” Master Fu said as he brought out the box with Tikki’s earrings in them. Tikki came rushing into the room from the kitchen munching on a cookie.

Chat simply stared at the box with confusion. “She took them off?” he whispered.

Master Fu nodded and gave a deep sigh. “She did. It was against her great reluctance that I convinced her not to renounce them. We are fortunate we didn’t lose our Ladybug forever just to prevent Hawkmoth from obtaining them.” 

A small “Humph!” from Tikki showed just what she’d felt about the situation.

Chat was stunned. He knew how much Ladybug loved Tikki and being Ladybug. 

###-Beginning-###

“She just decided to walk away from me, from our team, just like that?” he asked the barest hint of anger underlying the hurt in his voice.

“Oh no Chat!” Tikki rushed over to him and gently patted his cheek. “She didn’t want to leave, but she didn’t trust-”

“She didn’t trust me to keep her safe?” the boy broke in, anguish replacing the anger.

“Adrien,” Master Fu’s voice was quiet but piercing, “Ladybug did not doubt you or your skills.” He put a gentle hand on his shoulder. “She did however doubt her own ability not to crack under the pressure that Hawkmoth has been heaping on the two of you.” He gently patted the hero’s shoulder a few times before stepping back. “After convincing her to not renounce her Miraculous but to leave Tikki under my temporary guardianship, we had some time to chat.” The older man sighed. “She has felt herself slipping into a numb existence that concerns me.” He shook his head and Chat could hear tears in his next words, “We could have lost her permanently as she would rather die,” his breath hitched but he continued on, “die by her own hand than to let Hawkmoth have the power of her Miraculous.”

###- End- ###

Chat was speechless. He knew that the akumas had been eroding his own resolve and ability to bounce back, but had no idea that Ladybug had felt the same way. It appeared he wasn’t the only one Hawkmoth was wearing down. He put out a hand and cupped Tikki to his cheek. He gave her a quick kwami hug hoping to help them both feel better.

“We do not have the time to discuss everything that has happened this afternoon. I was hoping to call you in this evening to prepare you for an emergency like this, but things do not always go as I’d planned.” 

He gave Chat a wry smile and was pleased to hear the brief chuff of laughter from the younger man. If anyone understood that statement it was certainly him.

“There’s not much time to explain but the simple thing you must know is that Tikki and Plagg are two halves of one whole. As such, if, for any reason, one Chosen is out of commission the other can use that miraculous in an emergency situation.” He picked up the box that had been left on the table. “And Tikki’s chosen is well and truly out of commission at the present time,” he added quietly, apparently forgetting about Chat’s enhanced hearing. 

Though Master Fu tended to be rather calm in an emergency, he began pacing back and forth in front of Chat reminding him strongly of Marinette when she was excited about something.

“This is extremely dangerous and comes with many pitfalls, but we simply do not have time to go over these things. Plagg and Tikki will be able to guide you through this time. Afterward, this will be remedied. You, Ladybug, and I will sit down to discuss all the guidelines and rules, but now we have to-” 

Tikki flew up into his face and cleared her throat to get his attention back to the task at hand.

Seeing his usually steady, calm, and methodical teacher being absolutely flighty and scatter brained brought home the seriousness of the situation.

“Yes, sorry,” he said as he took a steadying breath. “You know all about needing to catch and cleanse the akuma and Tikki will help you out with that. Once you’ve used Lucky Charm you will only have five minutes before your transformation drops. You’ll still be Chat once that happens and then there will only be three minutes before Plagg will have to release the suit.” He gave the young man a stern look. “Neither of them will be able to do the double transformation again for nearly a month. Do NOT push for it.”

Chat nodded his agreement and understanding.

“I have some extra Camembert for you to take so that Plagg can assist you in getting Marinette back home if you need it,” he said waving toward a small container near him. “He will be able to recharge and perform as usual once that first double transformation is over.”

Chat put the small wooden cylinder in one of his pockets, knowing that Plagg would ensure its safety.

“I don’t exactly have pierced ears,” Adrien began.

“That’s not necessary,” Master Fu replied. “Simply put the box in your pocket and call on Tikki’s transformation.”

With great unease he picked up the earrings to stash in his breast pocket. He’d had so many nightmares of seeing these little gems without his Lady wearing them. None of them had come close to the feeling of absolute dread in this moment.

As he zipped the pocket closed he asked, “Are you ready Tikki?”

“Just let me at Hawkmoth!” the enraged being shouted. “I’ll teach him a thing or two,” she muttered darkly.

“Tikki, spots on!” Chat cried then watched as she was drawn into his ring. His ring changed from all black to being red with black polka dots, followed by a wash of pink magic. The pink light enveloped him and once it was done he was pleasantly surprised with the results.

He was dressed very close to his Chat Noir supersuit in shape, minus the ears and tail of course, with a lot more black on his suit than Ladybug usually had. He noticed his gloved hands were missing their very useful claws and flexed his fingers, noting the difference. He placed a hand to his ear and sure enough, the earrings were there though he could quite clearly still feel them in his suit pocket.

Master Fu laid a hand on Chat’s shoulder. “Do what you must to bring down this akuma as quickly as possible. I know that Marinette is a dear friend to all who I’ve chosen to hold a Miraculous. I also know that she would never have let this happen if she hadn’t been deeply hurt. Ladybug would want you to succeed in defeating Black Plague without her being here.”

“I know Master,” Chat replied. “I remember Marinette telling me how much Ladybug hurt when she had to go up against my akuma.” He grimaced. “Ladybug couldn’t look me in the eye for a month,” he smiled when adding, “but she made sure to give me extra hugs and skritches all during that time. And Marinette, she-” he struggled not to whimper at the sudden memory, “- she gave me pastries and cuddles any time I showed up till I had to beg her to cut back on the treats.”

Master Fu smiled for the first time. “But you didn’t ask for less cuddles?”

The young man felt the blush coming, but he wasn’t ashamed of what he’d done. He shook his head and merely replied, “I asked for twice the cuddles in exchange for the food.”

They both laughed together for just a brief moment.

“Go on Chat Noir,” Master Fu said as he patted his shoulder again. “Go save our Marinette!”

“Yes sir!”

He saluted with two fingers and was out the door.


	3. The Judgment of Paris

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Black Plague is free to terrorize the people of Paris. After all, it's not like Ladybug is going to stop her. Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content Warning: Traumatic things are mentioned toward the end of the chapter. Just be warned, okay? Let me know if it needs better tagging. Thanks!

[Who am I really?](https://nazikart.tumblr.com/post/185920877628/new-chapter-for-black-plague-au-is-out-read-it)

How glorious to be free to feel! 

Years worth of keeping a lid on those baser emotions had broken lose and she was finally unchained, unfettered, and unrestrained in what she could feel.

And what Black Plague felt was livid.

Black Plague vaguely remembered in her former life that she had cultivated a positive attitude and worked hard daily to reign in her feelings, not easy for someone as deeply caring as Marinette had been. She shook her head. All of that work and worry to avoid becoming akumatized, for what? Why had she ever tried to avoid ** _this_ **? It was amazing to be well and truly infuriated for her secret friend, Ladybug. Now that the worst had befallen her, she felt free for the first time in what felt like forever!

She took a moment to relish in the anger coursing through her. All those days of pushing down negative feelings, trying to feel things only shallowly, they were over now. The red hot anger filled up her bones and made her muscles twitch for action. She had to move! The feeling compelled her out into the city. Watching the black blotches fly out of her hands gave her a giddy feeling knowing that more of the city would feel Ladybug’s pain at their rejection.

Noticing that the rat trails let her glide even more quickly across roads and bridges, almost as if she wore ice skates, she spent a good few moments going from trail to trail building up speed and yelling all the things that had ever bothered her since the first akuma appeared. She screamed out all those things that Ladybug had confided in her as her deepest troubles and trials, as well as a fair few that had troubled Marinette over the past few years.

“Being a frequent akuma creator is ** _not _ **a quality to embrace, Chloe!” She whipped around a corner shedding black dots as she screeched, “Frequent akumatizations mean you are an evil person, Lila! Show some consideration to the people around you and get your vile instincts under control!” As she zoomed past the Louvre she shouted, “Telling someone to take the high road so that others aren’t made uncomfortable is not the same as having someone’s back, Adrien!” She tore under the Arc de Triomphe howling in the wind, “Making people afraid to feel those feelings that come to all of us is-,” she broke off abruptly as she came to a halt. “That is the ultimate in awful, Hawkie,” she whispered. “It is terrible to make someone afraid of their own feelings,” she sniffed. 

Tears were gathering in the corners of her eyes when she received a not so gentle nudge from Hawkmoth. She nodded in agreement. These people had let their anger and fear drive out Ladybug without even giving her an opportunity to defend herself. They deserved to know what it felt like to be so thoroughly rejected like that. The grief and agony of Ladybug’s betrayal slowly filled her heart. 

A few scuttling rats grabbed her attention. They met together at a cross roads, briefly circled one another and then came to a standstill. She immediately knew that the one on the left had been Lila and the smaller one in the middle had once been the mayor. There was some sort of decision to be made, but it happened too quickly for Black Plague to catch. Each saluted the others however, before scurrying in separate directions. The only thought she caught from the rats was their battle cry, “For Ladybug!”

The rats’ chant filled her with renewed enthusiasm for her mission. With a whoop of glee she plunged forward. This city would finally learn what it means to abandon their hero. She too, would do this for Ladybug. 

She found a news crew and stopped in front of the camera.

“Listen up Paris,” she said without preamble as she grabbed the microphone from the news reporter who was beginning to morph into a rat. “All those nights that Ladybug cried herself to sleep over being your hero? You _ will _pay for them. Those long days where she had to live through the consequences of being a secret superhero, like being yelled at for being late or berated for low quality homework by those who didn’t know she had previous commitments to saving your sorry city, those days are over! You ungrateful whelps are going feel every painful moment.” 

She took a minute to flick a faceful of spots at the police officers trying to sneak up behind her. They dropped to the ground as their speckled faces contorted gruesomely. The spots cleared quickly, but none of the officers seemed to have the strength to stand. One officer lay motionless, moaning in pain, as the other two began scratching at arms and faces. 

Black Plague pointed at the officers before turning back accusingly to the camera. “The fear that Ladybug wrote about in her journal, like wondering if her friends and family could ever forgive her because she had to ** _lie _ **to them for so many years when she herself was known to hate liars, those fears are going to be felt three times greater by this city for pushing her out,” she was accusing when she added, “for making her leave the only place she ever truly loved.” Black Plague cackled as she dropped her borrowed mic to her side and leant toward the camera. “Oh yes, my lovely, loving Parisians, you will feel it all.” 

She stood up straight and brought the microphone close. “The sore muscles, the headaches, the fatigue and every other physical pain I could think of are helping you feel what **your **hero felt after that full week of akuma attacks where you all couldn’t keep yourselves from bickering and sniping at each other for two full hours in a row. Do you know how ridiculous that was? Utterly ridiculous!” 

She looked back at the officers on the ground then pointed at the one with the black and red forehead mark.

“This one actually didn’t think Ladybug was a traitor and as such she will just feel the after shock of the physical effects for a while longer.” 

She giggled in fiendish delight when she saw the other two officers with the dark rash scratching in an effort to get relief that was not coming. 

“These two were neither Ladybug’s supporters nor her opponents. They’ve taken the middle ground. And, since they are on the ground where Ladybug and Chat Noir have defended the city so often, each scratch will bring back a memory of what our hero has done in this place. I don’t want you to think that the itching merely is a reminder of those fights. Oh, no. It will literally bring to their mind the things that Ladybug has done in this exact spot. 

“Now I know what you are thinking,” she said in mock drollery. “Where in this city hasn’t she defended against an akuma?” She snickered before continuing, “I doubt there is any place around here our hero hasn’t had to face down the butterfly terrors. Best of luck with the itching,” she grinned, “try not to scratch too much.” 

She finally turned away from the officers and motioned for the cameraman to pan down by her knees. He obediently obliged to show everyone the former reporter sitting back on her haunches looking up at the akuma with a beatific expression on its rodent face. 

“The rats are my crowning achievement,” Black Plague said as she ran a hand down the slick black head coming around to cup its cheek. She made a nuzzling motion to the rat. “It’s a way for an individual’s inner thoughts, feelings, and actions toward Ladybug to truly be shown.” 

She patted the rat on the head then pointed in a direction and the rat obediently scurried off. 

The camera once again rose to show Black Plague’s face. “Oh don’t worry, she is now totally dedicated to Ladybug, unlike before, and will join the others in doing their best to ensure that ** _everyone _ **will remember Ladybug and her sacrifices for you ungrateful citizens.”

She found a nearby bench and sat down eyebrows drawn into a thoughtful look. “If you are so tired of akumas, Paris, ask yourself what YOU have done to stop them.” She sat back before continuing, “Did you ever pause in your daily rush to make the day go better for a stranger so that Ladybug wouldn’t have to-” she paused speaking while her hand waved in front of her like a buffering circle on the computer, “-drop her date with the cute guy she’s been crushing on for _forever_ and **finally** asked out for coffee, in order to save some stranger once they’d accepted a bad butterfly into their life?” she asked accusingly. “Did you catch yourself before saying that thing? You know the _one thing_ that you know will set off your partner, so that Ladybug didn’t have to chase down an enraged akuma with kitchen knives as their specialized weapon? Did you take the time to notice a sad child or hurt individual and offer them a little human comfort, so that Ladybug wasn’t forced to fake stomach cramps, _again_ in front of the cute guy, flee to the bathroom, and shimmy out of a tiny window to save the day? No, no, and unfortunately no.”

“Oh, and while we’re on the subject of actions taken by this city, how about the proposal, that is _**actually** _being _**considered**_, to give every man, woman, child, baby-” she made and expansive gesture,”- basically every human person, and probably their pet, a daily supply of VALIUM?” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “Sure you could cut off Hawkmoth’s supply of anxious and emotional potential victims, while at the same time creating paranoid and suicidal zombies. That sounds _ great _ , Mayor Bourgeois. I’m _ sure _ Ladybug would ** _love _ ** to deal with an akuma victim sporting impaired judgement and suicidal ideations while still having to deal with Mothman’s special warping magic. That’s got to be **tons** of fun. I’m sure the medical community really appreciates this broad attempt to deal with something that ought to be dealt with on a personal level so as to take into account an individual’s medical history as well as other medications they might already be taking. I’m sure there won’t be shortages of this medication for those people that actually need it, right? Nothing bad ever comes from taking the medicine that someone else needs to function in a blind attempt to stave off a problem that your unique physiology makes dangerous. Do you know that you shouldn’t drink _alcohol_ while using that substance, Mayor Bourgeois? Do you know where we are? This is **France**! Do you really expect _ every _Parisian to give up their wine for the opportunity to gain even more paranoia than they already deal with in their present situation and also the chance to stop breathing while asleep? Hmmm?” 

She leaned forward with some urgency, “Ask yourself how have you ** _really _ **helped in the search for Hawkmoth or even in the active prevention of akuma, before you go blaming Ladybug for your moth problem.” 

She heaved a heavy sigh. “Have you ever questioned how Ladybug felt about this tiresome fight between Paris and Hawkmoth?” she asked conversationally. “No, you didn’t. It was always asking how long it would take to find Hawkmoth and how good a kisser Chat Noir is. What is _with_ you people? Why weren’t you asking how to tell the difference between a regular butterfly and an akuma so that important pollinators aren’t needlessly destroyed? Or for the heroes’ tips and tricks for avoiding akumatization? “And as for the Chat Noir question,” a smirk crossed her face, “a **Lady ** will never kiss and tell.” She slowly shook her head and pursed her lips. “Perhaps you should be questioning the reason that you are asking about the love lives and sexual experiences of literal children and not about the mental health and well being of the people around you. I’m sure we can agree that Hawkmoth cannot actually be a happy person. We have enough people hiding their misery behind false fronts, and now we have a magical master mind doing it, too, and you do ** _nothing_ **? Well--? What do you have to say for yourselves, Paris?” 

She paused as if waiting for an answer. None was put to her by the lone cameraman. 

Black Plague face fell into a serious expression. “She hated having children traumatized over going to sleep, not knowing if their dreams would be the ones to turn Paris into an actual, living, nightmare. She hated seeing friends and family caught in floods, trapped in landslides, and chased by fire or worse, _ kissing _**zombies**. She despised Hawkmoth’s ability to hide for so long,” she paused as a purple butterfly glowed around her face, “Sorry about that Hawkie but you know it’s true. I’m just the messenger.”

She gestured to the city around her. “Now look. See what your city has become. You have no Ladybug to save you, because **you ** decided to side with Hawkmoth. **You ** have betrayed **your **Ladybug and her Chat Noir. What does she even have as an incentive to come back for?” She shook her head, shrugging at the camera. “I’m afraid this will be the end of Paris.” She tilted her head to one side, “Unless you still care for them, Ladybug?” She gestured toward the Tower. “You know what I’m after. Bring me the earrings before sundown, or watch your city bow down to Black Plague,” she briefly inclined her head, an invitation to Ladybug.

She stood again and handed the mic to the ever obedient cameraman. As he fell heavily to his knees in front of her, she placed a black lipped kiss to his forehead before helping him continue his descent to the ground. 

“Mind your camera,” she said over her shoulder as she headed to the nearest rat path. 

She then lost herself in the rage and euphoria of grief as she went forth to spread her contagion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, we've caught up to where this story has been posted on Tumblr. Usually I don't post one chapter unless I have at least half of the next chapter ready to go. I admit that is not the case for this story, and I'm very sorry about that. But, I'd been holding onto chapter 3 for soooooooooo long! So I sent it out into the world before the next chapter had got its feet under it. Your patience will be appreciated.


	4. Emergency Services Have Been Mobilized

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien has been armed with Tikki's Miraculous. He and the rest of the team have to meet up and try to come up with a way to deal with a Marinette based akuma.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was stuck writing this for soooo long because there was a lot that I needed to put into the chapter and it sort of paralyzed me. The solution finally came to me. Shorter chapters! But then this one turned out to be just about as long as all the others so ??? Thank you for your patience. I hope you enjoy this new addition to Black Plague

Adrien hurried out the back of Master Fu’s building. He automatically reached for his staff, only to hear Plagg’s cackle in his left ear. It was as if the kwami sat on his shoulder to critique his chosen’s actions.

“Haloumi head, you’ve got Tikki’s powers right now. You don’t have the staff,” Plagg pointed out. His voice was flat and Adrien just knew the godling was rolling his eyes. 

Adrien shrugged off Plagg’s latest nick name for him. The cheese based epithets were all too familiar after years with Plagg. 

Faintly he heard Tikki’s voice near his right ear, “If you need the staff, I can easily change the yoyo-”

“No!” Adrien cleared his throat and then quietly said, “I mean, you don’t need to do that, Tikki. Thank you. The yoyo is faster and I’m pretty sure that time is the more important thing here.”

“Okay, Sweetie,” Tikki’s comforting voice again sounded in his ear. “But if you need it changed just let me know.”

“Don’t bother, Honeybee of my heart,” Plagg said, his smirk somehow still conveyed through only his voice, “Loverboy, here has had plenty of dreams where he’s playing with Ladybug’s yoyo.”

“Plagg!” Tikki admonished in a shocked voice while Adrien just groaned. He ignored the cackling of the destructive godling and threw the yoyo out to the nearest building. Once it wrapped securely, he gave a tug and Adrien was airborne!

A few minutes later he was touching down on the group’s meetup spot. All three of the other heroes were wary and all had their weapons out, but no one had attacked him yet so he counted it a win.

“This is quite the greeting for your friendly neighborhood Lad E Bug,” Adrien said.

Queen Bee rolled her eyes with a muttered, “Ridiculous” while Carapace and Rena looked at each other and then back to him.

“That’s got to be Chat,” Carapace said. 

“Only he would come up with a name that pawful.” Rena replied.

“Don’t tell me he’s infected you, too Rouge,” the bee grumbled.

“Hey! I worked hard for all of two seconds coming up with that name,” Adrien objected with a smile.

“It shows,” Carapace replied.

“Well, what would you suggest?” he asked with his hands open as if waiting for the suggestions to be handed to him for inspection.

“Well Ladybug was a girl, but since you’re a dude maybe you should be...Ladydude?”

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Rena said with a snort of laughter.

“Well then Dudeybug?” the turtle hero tried again.

“Uh, no. I’d rather not be associated with any  ** _dung _ ** _ beetles _ , thank you,” Adrien said as he wrinkled his nose.

“Look it’s obvious, isn’t it?” Rena cut in. “With royalty the opposite of a Lady is a Lord. You should be Lord Bug, or even Lordy Bug if you must have those three syllables.”

Adrien struck a pose as if thinking hard about the proposed name. “You know,” he said drawing out the last word, “if Tikki had given me a kilt and a Tam-O-Shanter I could call myself,” he switched over to a Scottish brogue, “Laddie Bug.”

Queen Bee strode over and put a finger into Adrien’s Sternum. “Listen up,  ** _Mister _ ** Bug, we’ve got work to do and we have more things to worry about than what to call you.”

Adrien’s smile fell from his face. “You’re right Queenie. Where do things stand?”

“While you were with Fu, Marinette-,” she began.

“Call her Balck Plague,” Rena interrupted. “I can’t stand the thought of it being Marinette saying all those terrible things.”

“Yes, well then,” Queen Bee began again. “While you were with Fu,  _ Black Plague  _ gave a news interview. She told us about how the spots work and also about the rats. Then she challenged Ladybug to bring her Miraculous to the Tower before sundown.”

“How do the spots work?’ he asked.

“Somehow they can tell if you are a friend, foe, or neither to Ladybug. If you’re a friend you end up with the two tone spot on your forehead and feel like you’ve been hit by a bus- repeatedly,” Rena said straight-faced while gesturing to herself.

“If you’re a foe, you get turned into a rat,” Queen Bee said through clenched teeth.

“And if you’re neither, you end up with itchy spots that bring up a vision of what Ladybug did to save Paris in whatever place you’re standing on whenever you scratch,” Carapace finished off.

“Well isn’t that-” Adrien trailed off not knowing how to fill in the blank.

“Heinous,” Carapace supplied.

Horrific,” Rena put in.

“Sadistic.” Queen Bee smirked. “I didn’t know Dupain-Cheng had it in her. I’m kind of proud of her.” 

“Those words don’t describe Marinette at all!” Adrien replied in anguish. “That’s not the Marinette I know. She’s kind and caring.”

“She’s always thinking about other people,” Rena added on.

“And trying to help others even though she’s always so busy,” Carapace added

“Yeah, busy helping unthankful people,” Queenie put in with a scoff.

“I just can’t believe that our kind, sweet, and sometimes a bit klutzy Marinette would think that Ladybug would want this for Paris,” Adrien said.

“Of course Ladybug wouldn’t want this,” Rena said with feeling. “She was always trying to save Paris from this kind of thing.” Her voice got quiet. “She was always so strong and confident that I didn’t notice that she might have been feeling unappreciated.”

“I was so pumped from being asked to help, that I didn’t realize she might need some help herself,” Carapace said with a sigh. “I wish I’d had the opportunity to protect her from this.”

“Me, too,” Adrien replied. “I wish I’d known that Marinette might need saving, too.”

“Yeah, well, she always had a big need to stand up for what she thought was right or against what she thought was wrong,” Rena said. “Obviously she felt that Ladybug needed a champion. No one can beat Marinette at being someone’s champion.”

“She only started standing up for herself and others when Alya showed up to school,” Queen Bee said looking straight at Rena. Rena looked ready to start fighting the Queen right there. Quietly she added, “It was the best thing to ever happen to her.”

Rena’s face went slack and tears started to form at the corners of her eyes. “Thank you, Chloe,” she whispered. Chloe barely nodded her head.

“Where is she now?” Adrien asked.

“We don’t really know,” Carapace answered as the girls buried past grudges. “She moves around pretty quick. It’s hard to get a bead on her.”

“So she’s a speed akuma, too?” he asked in disbelief.

“No, not really,” he answered. “She moves at a fast walking pace unless there’s a rat trail under her.”

“What happens with a rat trail?” 

Adrien was sure he wouldn’t like the answer.

“It makes her go faster. The bigger the rat trail and the more solid it is, the faster she can go.”

Nope. Adrien did NOT like that answer.

“I guess we need to find her,” he said. “We can split up and each take a direction.”

“No can do  ** _Mi_ ** _ -ster  _ Bug,” Queen Bee broke into the conversation. “We cannot. CANNOT afford for anything to happen to you while you hold that Miraculous. Either you have the Shield or the Sting with you at all times.”

Her tone would brook no disagreements, and, what’s worse, her logic was all too sound.

“She’s right,” Rena said. “My illusions couldn’t keep you safe while we wait for back up and we can’t afford for you to be caught on your own.”

“Rena how are you feeling after being hit by a bus?” Adrien asked.

“Repeatedly,” she reminded him. “Repeatedly hit by a bus.” She gave a weak smile. “I feel stronger now that I have Trixx helping me to stand, but I still feel a little wrung out. It’s a good thing my powers let me stay in one place to use them.”

“Okay then,” Rena and Carapace will take East and South and Queenie and I will take North and West. If we don’t find her, we’ll meet back at the tower at,” he took a look in his yo-yo for the time, “say seventeen hundred. If you find her, try to follow and then call us. If we find her we’ll do the same.”

“Hey why are turtle boy and the fox going together?” Queen Bee demanded. “They’re just going to go a couple streets over and then start making out.”

“We will not!”

“That’s not just rude, Queenie!”

“It’ll be at least three streets away.” 

All came in quick succession. Adrien rolled his eyes.

“So you’re saying that when Rena collapses you feel like carrying her to the akuma?” he asked Queen Bee.

The blonde haired woman rolled her eyes then headed away from the group. 

“Come on  ** _Mister _ ** Bug,” she called over her shoulder. “We can’t afford to let Dupain-Cheng have any more time as an akuma.”

“She’s right,” he told the other two. “Be careful and good luck!” he took off after Queen Bee.

Rena turned to Carapace. “With Marinette being the akuma, we’re going to need all the luck we can get.”

***

Adrien soon caught up with his partner.

“Are you okay Chloe?” he asked as they ran across one roof top and landed on another.

“It’s Queen Bee when I’m in the suit,” she snapped not slowing her pace. “Try to remember that  _ Mister _ .”

“You’re right,” he said and saw a tiny upturn to the corners of her mouth. “But seriously, what’s going on with you?”

“Oh I don’t know,” she said as she continued her search for the akuma. “How would you feel if you found out that your father was a traitor to Ladybug and to Paris?” she muttered through clenched teeth.

“I may not be Chat right now, but I’ve still got the extra sensitive hearing,” Adrien told her and watched as her mouth clamped shut. “Is that what’s bugging you right now?’

“You’re what’s bugging me right now,” she replied, then groaned. “Now I’m doing your lame puns.”

“My puns are not lame,” Adrien defended. “But I haven’t seen you this distressed over an akuma since Hero’s Day. Your dad being turned into a, a minion really seems to be upsetting you.”

“You know what’s upsetting me?” she said as she stopped and turned back to face him, a fiercesome scowl on her face. “That the hero I look up and adore has been chased out of the best city in the world by something  ** _my _ ** father has done. That when the pressure was on he did what he always does and caved. Instead of standing up for the person who has done so much for him, the person that has sacrificed the better part of her teenage years to save him time and time again, he folded like a cheap… a cheap-” she threw her hands in the air and changed her angle of attack. “The person I try to be like so that I can be the best queen for  ** _my _ ** hive, and he wants her to just turn over her Miraculous and be okay with it?! What could  _ possibly  _ be going on with me. I wonder.”

Adrien had no idea how to respond to that other than to say, “I don’t know how I’d feel if I were in your place,” he admitted. “I’m pretty sure I’d be angry at my father and very disappointed in him.” Queen Bee gave him a glare, but didn’t interrupt as he continued. “I know I’d be insulted that he’d be so petty toward My Lady. And I’d be so hurt that she left,” he said as he processed her question out loud. “But I’m pretty sure I’d also be really mad at-”

“Down!” Queen Bee yelled as she zipped her stinger right at his face.

Adrien reacted on instinct to duck and roll to the side. He came up to his feet with the yoyo in his hand. 

The spinning top hit a large rat squarely between its eyes, briefly stunning it. Queen Bee stepped forward ready to use her stinger just as the string from Mister Bug wrapped around the center of the creature. Adrien gave a huge tug on the line and a fine mist of spots flew into the air as the creature was heaved off the roof. Both of the heroes froze as dozens of red spots attached to any exposed skin, darkened to black and then faded. 

Adrien blinked and felt nothing but the familiar warmth of Ladybug’s hugs and the sweetness of Marinette’s macarons as images and thoughts from his time with Ladybug seemed to flash through his memories. Another blink and he was released from the spell. He looked over to Queen Bee who seemed to be trembling while staring off into space.

“Queenie?” he called as he checked the nearby roofs for other rats. When he didn’t hear a reply he hustled back to her side. He notted the tiniest of red and black marks on her forehead. “Queenie, what’s up? Why aren’t you-” he put his hands to her upper arms, intending to shake her but was overwhelmed by a feeling of nausea. As he jerked back, he knocked both of them to one side. 

Queen Bee gasped and started heaving in great lungfuls of air while Adrien began coughing and choking. 

“What  ** _the cataclysm_ ** was that, kid?” Plagg demanded angrily to his left.

“Don’t know,” Adrien mumbled as he tried to stop coughing.

“Who are you talking to?” Queen Bee challenged from the right.

“Um, my, the-” he broke into another fit of coughs, “ the kwamis want to know what that was.”

“You can hear them?” she asked, her curiosity getting the better of her temper.

“Yeah,” he replied. “It’s kind of far off sounding, but it’s also like they are sitting on my shoulder. Not sure how it works.”

“There’s magic involved,” Queen Bee grumbled good naturedly. “No one really seems to know how any of this works.”

“Cheese curds, stop ignoring me!” Plagg’s shout whispered into Adrien’s ear. “What was that?”

“I got hit by the rat spots,” Adrien began.

“I know that, Mozzarella melon,” the testy godling’s voice was rising in pitch. “We all saw what happened when you got hit by the spots. I mean afterward.”

“What made it feel like you were being squeezed into the Miraculous with us?” Tikki clarified.

“I think that happened when I grabbed Queenie,” Adrien said to the air watching in amusement as his teammate tried to make sense of the one side of this conversation.

“I don’t know what you’re blaming on me, but I certainly didn’t do it,” Queen Bee stated flatly.

“No, I, uh,” Adrien shook his head, “I know you didn’t do anything to make that happen. I was just telling them what I did right before we got hit by--that.”

She nodded. 

“I don’t know what that was, but let’s not do it again,” she said.

“But what-” Adrien began pacing the roof top just to be punched in the gut, or so it felt. He stumbled back, Tripping, he fell to the ground and began heaving at another imaginary hit to his midsection. The heavy contractions of his abdomen felt like this would continue forever until Queenie used her trompo to pull him to another part of the roof. He’d landed on his hands and knees. While the vomiting had thankfully stopped, there was nothing left for him to bring up, the heaving waves were slower to cease.

“If you could stop doing that,” Plagg moaned, “it would be great.”

“Please,” Tikki’s faint voice begged.

“I think it’s the rat trail,” she told him even as she rubbed a circle on Adrien’s back. “You started curling up when you stepped on it, and when you stumbled I think your hand landed on it, too.”

He’d stopped retching but didn’t have the strength to do anything but nod.

The sound of Queen Bee’s timer grabbed their attention.

“Oh, I guess this is as good a place to refuel as any,” Queen Bee grumbled. “Look Chat, er, Mister, I’m gonna go down to that store over there and get some nectar for Pollen to refuel--and I’ll get you some water to rinse that,” she wrinkled her nose as she indicated the spot where he’d just emptied his stomach, “--out of your mouth. Do you need anything else? Mouthwash? Cookies?”

At the mention of cookies Adrien groaned and covered his mouth.

“Maybe just the water, Queenie,” he muttered, despite his raw throat, then tacked on a quick, “Thanks.”

As she took off Adrien scanned the roof again for rats. He didn’t see any, so he allowed himself to roll back and sit up. He wasn’t quite sure he could stand, and he wanted Chloe to be there if something happened to him when he did.

“Since Buzzy thinks that those rats were responsible for me losing my cheese,” Plagg began, in a very sour voice, “--do you think you could get us close to one without touching it, Gouda gourd?”

“Please don’t mention food, Plagg,” Adrien groaned, but moved back onto his hands and knees to crawl over to the line.

“D-don’t _ touch  _ it!” Tikki screeched. Her voice gentled. “Just kind of hover your hand over it,” she suggested. “As soon as you feel ill move back a bit, okay?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Adrien replied.

He lifted his arm as high as he could stretch over the growing black line.

Nothing. 

“That’s good, right?” he said out loud.

“Only if you can always hover two feet above the ground,” Plagg grumbled.

Cautiously he lowered his hand. When he was about six inches above the line he started to get woozy. He moved his hand slightly higher and his head cleared. He did it a few more times till Plagg yelled.

“Stop _ doing  _ that, whey brains!” His voice was techy. “We are _ trying  _ to figure out what is happening here, and _ you  _ are trying to make Tikki toss her cookies.”

“Plagg,” Tikki’s patience seemed to be reaching her limit, “--be nice. We have to figure this out together.” She sighed before saying, “Adrien, sweetie, could you hold your hand steady, just before that nausea sets in, for another few moments? I’m having trouble figuring this out.”

“Oh, okay,” was all Adrien felt he could reply. His model training came in handy now. He was used to being asked to hold a pose, even if it was uncomfortable, until he was told he could move.

“Tik, that doesn’t look like regular akuma magic,” Plagg said. His sarcastic way of talking was instead replaced by real concern. “That doesn’t look like regular akuma magic at all. It looks like- Tik!”

“I know, I feel it, too,” the little kwami replied, the worry and fear clear in her tone. “Nooroo’s magic is there, sort of underneath this but--” She gasped. “Cataclysmic kwami crackers!” she exclaimed. “Adrien! Get away from the line right now!”

Adrien hurried to back away. He sat abruptly.

“Talk to me, Sugarcube, what are those things?” Plagg’s testy voice demanded.

“If they are what I think they are,” Tikki murmured, “you’ll have to keep from stepping on them for long. Especially the solid ones.”

“Um, what do you think they are?” Adrien wheezed, his breathing ragged. “They’re--they’re more than just magic, aren’t they?”

“Well  _ spotted  _ kid,” Plagg snickered while Tikki groaned.

“Plagg,” Tikki warned. “They’re more like...love,” Tikki said slowly, searching for the right words. “But it’s--love that’s been corrupted, or more...more like it’s been twisted into hate and it’s using Nooroo’s magic to amplify and stretch...to connect the lines to each other.”

“I hate to mention this, gumdrop,” Plagg tacked on, “--but there is something else going on over there.” His voice faltered, “I’m not sure what it is, but it ain't good. Kid, I need you to not step on them or brush up against them for too long, okay? They give me a bad feeling. Like it could be booby trapped or something.”

“Noted,” Adrien replied. “Though that’s not likely that I’ll stay on them when they turn me inside out, is it?” He decided to stand and found that it wasn’t as difficult as he thought it might be. He did a quick patrol of the roof. “Hey, Tikki, could I have my staff just until Queenie gets back? I’d like to keep those rats as far away as possible.”

“Sure thing, sweetie,” Tikki’s voice chirped.

The yoyo Adrien was holding morphed into his regular weapon, with the minor change of ladybugs as buttons instead of a cat’s paw.

Adrien extended it to a comfortable length before asking the question nagging him.

“Tikki, how does this akuma have so much hate? Marinette-” he took a deep breath, “Marinette always--she seemed to have so much love and kindness for everyone. How didn’t we--how didn’t _ I  _ see that she  _ hated _ us so much?”

Tikki’s tired voice whispered in his ear. “The opposite of love for a person, or a place, isn’t hate Adrien. It’s apathy. It’s not having a strong reaction one way or another to that person or place, or to their absence.” Tikki took a deep breath. “This akuma is taking all of the seeds of magic you and Ladybug have sown across this city and then twisting Marinette’s love for this place and its people into hate and rage.” Her voice grew quieter. “All the love that Marinette has is being corrupted. You were right Adrien. Marinette had a heart big enough to love all of Paris.” 

A soft sob echoed through the ear that Adrien thought of as Tikki’s side.

“And it would be real bad for all of us if those lines got connected to you,” Plagg said flatly. “Pigtails has a whole lot of love for you, no matter what she told Queenie.”

“What?” Adrien asked, truly stunned to hear this bit of information.

His kwami continued as if Adrien hadn’t said anything.

“And if those things get hooked onto you they’ll take all of the love and admiration that the macaron maiden has for her beloved magazine model,” Plagg seemed to gag at the words, “and sink this city into an eternal night.”

“WHAT?!” Adrien could help shouting. “That’s not true. She’s just a--”

“Finish that ridiculous phrase and I will do to your shoes what you did to the roof,” Plagg threatened.

“Plagg,” Tikki huffed fondly, “You know it wouldn’t be an eternal night. Don’t be so dramatic.”

“It would too,” Plagg was quick to assert. “You know as well as I do just how long ‘Our Everyday Ladybug’ has loved _ curd curls  _ here,” there was a scoff in his tone. “There’s no way that her feelings for him wouldn’t have this city covered in that inky darkness within an hour at the very least.”

“True,” Tikki acknowledged.

Adrien worked to control an embarrassing blush in case Queenie came back suddenly. Marinnette had never  _ told  _ him. She had never said that she cared for him as more than a friend. And here are Plagg and Tikki talking about her very real, very deeply held feelings for him! It was as if they were talking about the weather- something obvious to even the casual observer, yet he’d never seen it. Marinette loved him!

His high over this news came crashing around him. Marinette loved him and right now she’s an akuma. Kwami crackers, indeed.

“Can we try to think of a way to get rid of these things?” he testily asked the air as he carefully stepped over the line to try and see where Queen Bee was. Maybe she needed help.

“What? You can’t handle the truth, loverboy?” Plagg teased. “Bring down the akuma and the lines will go away...probably.”

“Great,” Adrien groused, “Just take down an akuma that is one of the cleverest people I know, who loves me, but has lined the city with boobytrapped _ twisted hate  _ ink. No problem.”

“Adrien, I think it’s more serious than that,” Tikki warned.

“What do you mean by that, oh gummy bear of my inner most soul?” 

Plagg’s voice did not inspire confidence.

“I mean,” Tikki sighed, “I mean I don’t know for sure, but this akuma might be able to take this darkness past the city.”

“What?” Adrien asked. “But--but, Hawkmoth has never been able to reach past the city with his power before...”

“I know, but Marinette loves so many people and places, and if she catches us like this--with all three of us in one place?! You know how much she cares for us, Plagg! This--this could be a national disaster!” Tikki took a shaky breath in, followed by a whispered, “uh...”

“Wait,” Adrien interjected. “When did Marinette meet either of you?”

There was silence from the kwami but Adrien continued to puzzle out Tikki’s statement.

“I know she’s never seen _ Plagg,  _ because he’s always been with me,” Adrien said as he started another patrol of the roof. “And _ Ladybug  _ would never have shown Tikki to Marinette, because it’s too dangerous to let a civilian know that you have a Miraculous.”

He turned at the sound of scampering feet and without thinking, spun his staff and knocked the rat off the roof. He watched it fall, and would have been concerned about its fate if he wasn’t already distracted.

“I know that Ladybug is a good friend to Marinette and would never want to put her friend in danger, so she wouldn’t have detransformed in front of her.”

He was mulling this over as he watched the rat hit the ground and--bounce? It bounced a couple of times then got up and scurried away. 

Indestructible minions, part of Adrien’s brain noted. Of course she would create minions that won’t get hurt. Even in her rage Marinette wouldn’t want to actually harm someone.

“I know that Ladybug would have told Chat if she thought that someone had seen Tikki, intentionally or not, so that we could protect and watch over them. And the only time that she ever asked me to watch over Marinette was when Nathaniel was akumatized so he could take Marinette on a date.”

He stopped walking as a nagging thought occurred to him.

“Plagg--Tikki--” his voice was strained, “ _ when _ did you meet Marinette?”

There was some hemming and hawing from Plagg’s side of Adrien’s head while Tikki remained stubbornly silent.

“Well,” Plagg said in a tiny voice, “she might have met me when you were turned into a gold statue during Style Queen.”

“But you told me that only Ladybug saw you--” he stopped abruptly. “Are you telling me that- That Marinette was- I mean- That Marinette is-” his brain shorted out, then came roaring back to life. “Are you saying that Marinette is  **Ladybug** ?”

“Of course I’m not  _ saying  _ that,” Plagg’s voice was dripping with sarcasm. “We aren’t  ** _allowed _ ** to tell anyone who our wielders are or who else hold a Miraculous if you don’t already know.”

“I know that--Plagg--” Adrien tried to interrupt but the godling of destruction continued on.

“Please, Adrien,” he jeered. “It’s not like I’d ever  ** _hint _ ** that the hero girl you adore is also your classmate. There’s  _ no way _ I’d  ** _ever _ ** do that.”

“Plagg, calm down,” Tikki commanded.

“Or that I’d point out how the classmate that sits  _ right behind you _ , might be acting even a little bit like you do around Ladybug. Right? I’d  ** _never _ ** do that.”

Adrien hung his head as he remembered every time that Plagg had hinted that he should take a closer look at Marinette.

Plagg’s voice got louder as he continued his rant, “There’s no way in this kwami cursed existence that I might  ** _try _ ** to help you out by pointing to the sweet, pigtailed girl you smile at every day to call her your  ** _girlfriend _ ** hoping you would Catch. A. Clue. But nnnoooOOOOoooo, you have to be as thick as two blocks of Cheddar!”

“Plagg!” Tikki’s voice was the loudest Adrien had ever heard it. “You go too far.”

“No, Tik, I don’t think I’ve gone far enough,” Plagg argued back. “If Havarti head had ever thought about what I  _ said to him _ , there could have been a reveal before we got to this point.”

“Reveals have to come on their own,” Tikki argued.

“What like in the middle of an akuma attack?” Plagg scoffed. “That’s a  _ great  _ time to have a nervous break down because you had a bomb dropped on you.”

“Calm down, kitten,” Tikki begged, “It- it’s  _ important  _ to keep them insulated from Nooro’s powers. You  _ know  _ that.”

“ _ You _ know I never liked this secrecy thing after they get to know each other,” Plagg told Tikki. “If they had known who their partner was they could have TALKED to each other! Cookie girl could have told _ Gorgonzola locks  _ here how this situation was getting to be too much for her.”

“She could have told me anyway,” Adrien said.

“No, she couldn’t,” Tikki sighed. “She would have had to say too much that would have given her away.”

“And she never wanted to compromise Ladybug’s identity,” Adrien groaned.

“Exactly! Exactly!” Plagg roared. “They could have figured out a way to give Marinette a break. Gone to Fu sooner. Something--”

“There are rules for a _ reason,  _ Plagg,” Tikki responded.

“Those rules did not take into account what letting MARINETTE, our Marinette, the talented, fabulous, clever, and POWERFUL MAGIC WIELDER Marinette getting akumatized could do!”

It sounded like Plagg was breathing hard and Adrien was pacing frantically.

“Now all the love that she had as herself  _ and  _ Ladybug is being warped to set traps for Adrien, giving her power strips all over the city, and teaching Paris to fear the quiet ones. Because _ our Marinette,”  _ Plagg’s voice was barbed, “--will be the cleverest, most devious akuma that we will ever go up against!”

There was a pause where only the hum of Queen Bee’s wings and her touch down were heard.

Adrien wasn’t sure, but he would almost swear he heard Tikki echo his thought as he muttered, “Merde.”

“Good to see you, too,” she teased.

“Sorry, Queenie,” Adrien said rubbing the nape of his neck. It was a nervous tic he just couldn’t master, no matter how many times his father demanded he control it. “Uh, the kwami just dropped a lot of stuff on me.”

Queen Bee grabbed his chin and searched his face. 

“Are you okay?” she demanded, suddenly dead serious. 

Adrien gave her his best smile, but judging by her eye roll it wasn’t very successful. 

“I’ll be fine,” he reassured her as he took the water she thrust into his hand. “Thanks.”

“Sorry I took so long,” she said and handed him a small package of cheesy crackers. “We had to unbarricade a window, re-barricade it, get down to the store, and then do the whole thing again to get me out. It was ridiculous!. At least they were actually nice about helping me-- this time.”

“Did you remember to pay them?” Adrien asked as he nudged her side with his elbow.

“Yes,” she huffed, “--I remembered to have Pollen leave my cash available as I transformed today.”

“Good going, Queenie.”

Adrien watched Chloe preen under his praise. It didn’t last long.

“Speaking of going,” she said, “--how about we move to a different roof before I’m out of time, again?”

“Again?” Adrien asked.

“I’ll tell you about it when we get somewhere you haven’t spewed, okay?”

“Okay,” he said, as Tikki transformed the staff back to a yoyo. “Let’s get going.”

They were sitting atop the tallest building they could find in the area, drinking their beverages and sharing the crackers when they got the call from Carapace. 

They’d found the akuma.

**Author's Note:**

> The very talented Nazik shared a striking picture of an akumatized Marinette with a very catchy prompt. With her permission I started this story and she has added some wonderful art to go with it. If I can figure out how to add the pictures, I will. If I can't... go check her out on Tumblr at:  
https://nazikart.tumblr.com/


End file.
